March 9, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle University Baseball team will finally play a home game at Hank Devincent Field this weekend as they host Cornell, Saturday in a double header for its home opener.
The Explorers, who have played their first 10 games in the state of Florida, were supposed to host Cornell Friday, but due to weather, the game has been switched to Saturday. The teams will play a pair of seven-inning games starting at 1 PM.
The schedule then changes on Sunday as well, as they will now host Iona starting at 1 PM. The Explorers are scheduled to host 17 of their next 20 games at Hank DeVincent Field, which includes their first three Atlantic 10 series.
La Salle, which is off to a 5-5 start, has seen a number of significant achievements in the early part of the season.
Mainly, since joining the A-10 in 1996, this is only the third time the Explorers have been at least .500 just 10 games into the season. The 1999 squad, which is the only one to ever advance to the A-10 Championships, stood at 5-5 and won 27 games, while in 2004, the team was 7-2-1.
Also, two Explorers have attained some individual achievements. Senior Gerard Breslin, already the all-time leader in career games pitched (88) and saves (22) entering the season, just moved into first place for all-time career strikeouts with 188 - six more than Jeff La Porta's previous mark of 182.
Senior Rich Prall moved passed some milestones, now up to 602 at-bats (8th in a career), 208 hits (5th), and 105 RBI (two away from the top 10).
Other notable accomplishments just 10 games in, include freshman John Malloy's 10-game hitting streak, Prall's seven-gamer, and the end of junior John Rickards 13-game hitting streak, which dated back to last season.
Pitchers senior Dan Waters and Dennis Burge have had early success, with Waters picking up two early wins and Burge a victory and his second career save.
After this weekend, La Salle (5-5) will host Villanova, Tuesday with a 3 PM start before playing home-and-home doubleheaders with Stony Brook, Saturday (at) and Sunday (home).
